Pope: Pull together, avoid pessimism in this coronavirus era

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is cautioning against pessimism as many places start emerging from lockdown mode during the coronavirus pandemic. During Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark Pentecost Sunday, Francis lamented the tendency to say “nothing will return as before.” That kind of thinking, Francis says, will guarantee that “the one thing that certainly does not return is hope.” He called upon his own church to pull together, saying “the world sees conservatives and progressives” but all are “children of God.” A few dozen faithful, wearing masks and sitting one to a pew, attended the ceremony as part of safety measures against spreading COVID-19.